Amvalume
The Kingdom of Amvalume is the prime High Elven nation within Elakura. The kingdom has a reputation for their beauty as well as their ferocity. Said reputation comes from their common image of their finest warriors flying astride great dragons. This is Amvalume, the home of the Dragon Riders and jewel of Elakura. History The Titanblade War The Kingdom of Amvalume got its official start in ancient times, when the world was very new. It was the time of the Titanblade War, in which powerful creatures warred for supremacy. The Titans kept slaves of the lesser races, especially the Elves. The elected leader of the elves at the time, Ixillidan forged, in secret and with the assistance of the council of elders, the sword of the Ixillidari. The blade, embued with all the magic mustered by the most wise and powerful of the elves at the time, became a powerful symbol of the elven slaves. They rallied behind Ixillidan as he led a rebellion against their overlords, slaying their master, the great red dragon Balarong and using his clutch of young dragons as mounts and weapons against the rest of the great powers warring for dominance. They banded together to rally the other forces of the world, using them to finally defeat the titanic overlords of the Titanblade War with the help of Thrima and the legendary weapon known as the Titanblade. '''The elves became recognized as fierce dragon riders, the offspring of Balarong becoming valued companions as the generations went by. Balarong's kin, known as the Kin Drakes, are extremely loyal to their elven companions. The Exodus of the Wood Elves After the Titanblade War, the Kingdom of Amvalume was officially founded. Many of the elves disagreed with the lifestyle the city leaned towards, wanting instead to hold to the old ways of forest life; keeping to the forests of the world and living as nomads. These elves split from Amvalume, eventually becoming what are now known as the Wood Elves. The Exodus of the Drow Millenia before the rein of current Queen Raina, the Elven Kingdom of Amvalume was visited by a woman whose beauty, as legend says, was impossible and vicious. Men and women alike fell in love with the woman and she quickly gained a very large and devoted following. The woman had ebony skin with flowing white hair and incredibly deep, mesmerizing silver eyes. The woman called herself Araushnee and proclaimed to be sent to see to the fates of the elves by the highest deity of the elven pantheon: Corellon Larethian. Araushnee had taken a great percentage of the population and had made her intention clear that the fate of all elves were tied to her and that she must rule the elves to see them to their destined greatness. Those who followed her attempted to wrest the throne of Amvalume from the Ixillidan bloodline. During the ensuing civil war, battles broke out across the entire kingdom. During the climactic battle, Araushnee found herself confronted by King Rellian of the Ixill and The Grand Council of Amvalume at the time. With the assistance of Thrima wielding the Titanblade, Araushnee was revealed to be Lolth, the dark Spider goddess. The avatar of Lolth was banished back to her own realm and her followers were driven from Amvalume. The High Elves and Wood Elves alike saw the touch of Lolth spreading among her followers, turning their skin varying dark shades of grey and black and making their hair a pure white color. The elves hunted the followers of Lolth, driving them to the only place they dared not tread: The Underdark.' = The Golden Age During Elakura's golden age, Amvalume prospered. Their dragons acted as deterrants from the otherwise hostile forces of Garrasque to the south and Straud to the north. This deterant afforded Amvalume the ability to open trade agreements with their neighboring kingdoms of Myrkesia, Streah and Thunderforge. The economy was at an all time high and spirits were high as well. The Golden Age lasted for approximately 1,000 years. Whispers in the Dark It was during the reign of King Alduin that darkness began to reach its clawed hands towards the shining kingdom of the elves. The king's council of advisors were made up of only a few individuals. On that council was an elf by the name of Ferenus Pelionas, an initially charming elf who always appeared to have the kingdom's best interests at heart. One night, deep into the people's slumber, agents of The Shroud snuck into the royal palace under the orders and payroll of Ferenus himself, slaughtering Alduin and his wife and cutting off Ferenus' arm to aid in his alibi of dutiful advisor seeking to protect his king. Fortunately, the princess Raina escaped the Shroud assassins, taking her father's sword with her and going on the run. A New Regime The following year was the worst for Amvalume since the Titans roamed the world all those thousands of years ago. Ferenus and his wife Tellia Pelionas ruled with an iron fist, making sure all citizens were forced to toil the vinyards and fish the bay. The citizens were given little time for anything else. During this time, King Ferenus reached out to the Empire of Straud, looking to form an alliance with the hostile nation. During these negotiations, Emperor Lux Zaiden presented Ferenus with a gift: the Princess Raina herself, captured while on the run. In front of the princess, Ferenus executed two Amvalume loyalists to Raina: Vaexa and Byron. The Princess and her comrades escaped their confines in the night after the meeting in Straud, killing Ferenus and the Emperor both before making their way back to Amvalume. The Revolution of Amvalume Princess Raina and her companions carried the severed head of Ferenus to the palace, demanding to see the Queen. They placed Tellia's husband's severed head at her feet, expecting a horrified reaction and an easy transition. What they got was a revolution. Tellia revealed herself to be a vampire and the high priestess of a branch of the Cult of Orkus, who sought to bring their master into the world through the sacrifice of the firstborn child of the seventh generation of the Ixal bloodline: Raina. Her previously thought to be loyal bodyguard and former captain of the guard Karth Petrona turned out to be an agent of Tellia's, set to bring her to the priestess for sacrifice. The Princess, with the unexpected help of the newly loyal Shroud and her companions and the rebelling people of Amvalume, Tellia was cut down and destroyed and Karth was executed for his treason against the rightful queen. With the smell of burning vampire in the air, the tribulations of Amvalume had come to an end. The Crowning of a Queen and the Destruction of Evil Raina was crowned Queen of Amvalume and peace had returned once again to the elves...until Nak'ash and The Everburning Shadowcult made their move on the city during the Battle of the Bristlewood. Amvalume, with the combined might of the other joined nations of Elakura, obliterated the cult and destroyed the Lich once and for all. After Straud was destroyed during the Siege of Capitol City, Raina agreed to take in refugee civilians and turncoat soldiers alike from the former Empire of Straud. In return, Amvalume took the ruins of Straud and its former holding of the town of Vynterheim as their own, expanding the kingdom and bringing further economic boom to the kingdom. Not since the Golden Age had the Elven people prospered in such a way. New Alliances? Six months after the Battle of the Bristlewood, Amvalume was visited by Prince Araam Karkuun of the kingdom of Sarabi within the continent of Rajahast across the sea to the far east. The prince, not learned on the customs of the western world, asked for Queen Raina's hand in marriage in order to join the two kingdoms. Raina refused, informing the prince that such requests were not welcome in Amvalume and that more formal negotiations would have to be in order. The Queen invited the prince to dinner that night, upon which negotiations were open. The prince wished to provide resources from his nation as well as passage to and from the continents. In return, Amvalume would trade their own exports as well as send the heroes from the Battle of the Bristlewood to Rajahast to tour the kingdom of Sarabi and aid them in driving out Amazonian raiders from one of their villages. The Queen agreed and she and her companions set off for a new land, unsure of what wonders or horrors may await them and the future of Amvalume. Culture The Dragon Riders The culture of Amvalume is very dependant on the imagery of dragons. The Dragon Riders are considered some of the most prestidgeous members of society and are truly the elite of the Amvalume military. The Dragon Riders are lead by Siegfried, chief military advisor and gold dragon to the royal family of Amvalume. The Riders train for twelve hours every day, keeping their prowess sharp. They are typically sent to patrol the borders of the nation and, occasionally, skirt the borders of Garrasque and formerly Straud to ensure the more hostile nations are sufficiently reminded of the power Amvalume's military holds should they attempt to attack the elven nation. '''Holidays' Amvalume and the High Elves within it celebrate a number of holidays. Some are shared with other races and nations and some are exclusive to Amvalume. Lumaste (Pel the 1st) During the first month of the Elakuran Calendar, the Elves celebrate Lumaste with The Festival of Light. This festival celebrates new beginnings and the bringing in of the new year. During the festival, the royal family oversees a number of activities, including an air joust, a great feast and the gathering of lights, in which the wizards of Amvalume fire off spells into the air, setting off sparks and swirls of magic to give off a spectacular show. Lumaste is typically when most coronations are held. Midsummer Fire Festival (Corell the 10th-Corell the 30th) When the weather is at its hottest, the elves of Amvalume gather for the yearly Midsummer Fire Festival. There is much dancing, merriment, and spectacle as everyone is at their most passionate. It is common for the elven people to indulge in the deepest nature of their desires. The royal family and guards are on high alert as crime typically increases during this time as well. This festival lasts most of the month. Ravenhallow (Mel the 30th and 31st) Ravenhallow is a darker occasion. The days grow shorter and the weather gets colder. The 30th of Mel is spent in contemplation of loved ones lost to the cold hand of death in the past year. There are ceremonies in the evenings, when the moon is at its highest in the night sky, in which the royal family gives a speech followed by the initiation of the night of silence. For the rest of the night and into the next day, the elves of Amvalume do not speak, instead dressing in black and taking gifts such as flowers and relics to the graves of their loved ones. The graves are decorated as a beautiful mural to the lives of those who came before. During this time, the graveyards of Amvalume are the most beautiful sight in the entire city. Legend holds that the spirits of the departed appear to their loved ones during this time and impart wisdom or simply comfort when it is most needed. Merrimas (Rav the 20th) Merrimas is the peak of winter, where the elves of Amvalume take time to appreciate loved ones and friends as they trade gifts and enjoy each others' company. Families often get together and there is a festival in the city square in the evenings. At the festival, the royal family gives a speech and raises a customary glass of wine in honor of the past year and celebrating all who have made it through this year. This is a time to celebrate unity, love and the perserverance of the elven people. = Category:Places Category:Factions Category:Kingdoms Category:Nations Category:Elakura